Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School

FROG DISSECTION
Science and Technology X: BIOLOGY
3rd Quarter
Name: _____________________________;_____________________________ SCORE
Teacher:_____________________ Year & Sec: ___________
Date: __________________

INTRODUCTION:

The frog is classified under the Phylum Chordata because a gristly rod, the notochord, forms
along the dorsal midline of the frog embryo. It is classified in the Subphylum Vertebrata because
the adult frog has segmented backbone, the vertebral column. Humans are also chordates and
vertebrates. Although humans belong to the Class Mammalia and frogs belong to the Class
Amphibia, their bodies show many similarities and organization.

Objectives
At the end of the activity the students are expected to:
1. observe the external and internal anatomy of the frog;
2. to view the body systems and determine which systems are like humans’;
3. view the body systems: epidermal, muscular, digestive, excretory, respiratory,
circulatory, and skeletal.

MATERIALS:
Dissecting set Frog
Dissecting pan Ruler
Dissecting needle Frog Parts Chart
Camera Pen

PROCEDURE:

I. Preparation
1. Rinse the dead/paralyzed frog in the water.
2. Place in the dissecting pan on its ventral (underside) side; take a picture, then dorsal (back) side.
3. Pin the limbs to the dissecting pan. This will keep the frog in place.

WARNING
PLAYING WITH FROGS IS
STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

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II. External Anatomy
1. Hold the frog on the dissecting pan.
2. Take a picture of the following external parts of the frog
A. Dorsal (back)
B. Ventral (underside)
C. Forelimbs
D. Hindlimbs
E. Eyes
F. Typanum

2. Measure the length of the frog in cm. Record this

measurement while taking a picture of it.
3. Open the mouth of the frog and examine the following
structures: Throat, Tongue, Teeth, Nostrils (Push
probe through the nostril by pushing the probe from the
outside to the inside of the mouth), Glottis (the bubble
like structure in the back of the throat.)

A. Maxillary teeth
B. Internal naris
C. Vomerine teeth
D. Maxilla
E. Eustachian tube opening
F. Tongue
G. Madible

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III. Internal Anatomy

Part I: Skin Incision

BE CAREFUL OF THE SHARP SCALPEL.

1. Lift the frog’s skin with the forceps between the rear legs and
make a small cut using the scalpel.
2. Use the scissors to continue cutting up to the midline all the
way to the frog’s chin (Figure 1).
3. Use the scissors to make horizontal incisions on the skin. Be Figure 1
careful to cut only through the skin, not the muscles.

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  The first incisions are made between the front legs. (Figure 1, Lines 2 to 3)
 The next incisions are made just above the rear legs. (Figure 1, Lines 4 to 5)
4. Pick up the flap of the skin with the forceps. Use a scalpel to help separate the skin from the
muscle layer below.
5. After you’ve opened the flaps of the skin, pin them to the dissecting pan. (see Figure 2)
6. Examine the underside of skin. Note the many fine blood vessels.

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Part II: Muscle Vertical Incisions (Refer to Figure 1, Line 1)

1. Examine the muscles of the ventral and dorsal (lower thigh
area) side of the frog. They are related to the head, thorax and
abdomen. Imagine the movement of the frog body as each
muscle contracts.
2. Repeat the incisions, this time through the abdominal muscle.
Be careful that you don’t cut too deeply. The muscle is thin; it
is easy to damage the organs underneath.
3. Begin the vertical incision by lifting the muscle layer between
the rear legs with the forceps.
4. Make a small cut with the scalpel.
5. Using the scissors, continue the incision up the middle to a
point just below the front legs.

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Part III: Incision on the Chest Bone/Sternum (Refer to Figure 1, Line 1)

1. When you reach the point just below the front legs, turn the scissors blades sideways, so
that you only cut through the bones in the chest (sternum). Be careful that you don’t cut too
deeply.
2. When the scissors reach a point just below the frog’s neck or jaw bone, you have cut far
enough. Cut through muscle only--do not cut the floor of the mouth.

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Part IV: Muscle Horizontal Incisions (Refer to Figure 1, Lines 2, 3, 4 and 5)
1. Make a horizontal incision. Just as you did with the skin, make a sideways incision in the
muscle with the scalpel.
2. Make the first incision between the front legs.
3. The next incision is just above the rear legs. Again, be careful that you don’t cut too deeply.

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Part V: Muscle Separation (See Figure 2)

1. Separate the muscle flaps from the organs below. Pull
back the muscle flaps with the forceps.
2. Use the scalpel to separate the muscle from the organ
tissue.
3. Pin the muscle flaps back far enough to allow easy
access to the internal organs. Pin the triangular flaps of
the skin and muscle to the pan.
4. Pin the flaps back far enough to allow access to the
body cavity. Push the dissecting pins firmly on the wax
at about 450 angles.

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Part VI. Remove each organ and place on the “Frogs Part Chart.”
1. Find the liver and carefully remove it. The liver is a
large, brownish colored organ (also the largest gland)
covering most of the body cavity. It has 3 lobes. Figure 2
2. Find the heart and carefully remove it. The heart is a
small triangular shaped organ between the front legs and anterior to the liver. It is enclosed
in a pericardial sac.
3. Observe the yellow, finger-shaped Fat/Liver Bodies; if they are large remove them and put it
to the Chart.
4. Under the liver, you see a small greenish sac. This is the Gall Bladder which stores bile (a
substance which can digest fats), remove it carefully.
5. Find the stomach and carefully remove it. The stomach looks like a sac on the frog’s left side
(on your right). It is a large firm organ.

Cut the stomach out of the frog and open it up. You may find what remains of the frog’s
last meal in there. What did you find in the stomach?

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 6. Remove the small intestine from the body cavity and carefully separate the mesentery
(transparent tissues) from it. The small intestine is a long, folded, tube like organ that is
posterior the stomach. Stretch the small intestine out and measure it. Now measure your
frog. Record the measurements (cm) in the Frog Parts Chart.
7. Find where the small intestine joins the large intestine, a larger, shorter tube and cut it.
Stretch out the large intestine and measure it by centimeters.
8. Find the pancreas and carefully remove it. The pancreas is a thin, yellowish ribbon.
9. You may see the lungs the frog, carefully remove it. The lungs are located at the anterior end
of the body cavity on either side of the heart. Note that the lungs connect anteriorly with the
larynx and glottis.
[Link] the spleen in the frog, it is a small, round reddish organ, then remove it.
[Link] for the kidneys. They are elongated, brownish colored organs found in the lower part of
the frog’s abdomen. They are situated on each side of the middle of the frog. After finding,
remove and place it on the Chart.

Part VII: Cleaning-Up

1. Dispose the frog properly.
2. Rinse and dry equipment including the dissecting pan.
3. Wash your hands properly with soap and water.
4. Clean your working area.

Deduction will be imposed

to those who will not follow instructions
and will not clean their working area.

The teacher will check the “Frog

Parts Chart” before leaving the
class today.